New Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a left wrist fracture sustained on a hit-by-pitch in his Boston debut on Monday. Mead was just acquired via trade from the Nationals in exchange for left-hander Connelly Early on Sunday.
Infielder Nick Sogard was recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move.
"Super disappointing. It doesn't feel real happening in first game [with Red Sox]. There will be a break in between the next one," said Mead, who returned home to see a hand specialist in Boston.
After striking out looking in his first at-bat on Monday against the A's, Mead was drilled on the left wrist with a 94.9 mph fastball from righty Jack Perkins in the fourth inning. He wound up exiting in the bottom of the fifth inning. Initial X-rays came back negative, but follow-up evaluations revealed the fracture.
Mead said he doesn't want to estimate a timetable for his return until visiting the team's hand specialist on Wednesday.
"I'm not totally sure right now," said Mead, when asked if surgery is an option.
A former top prospect with the Rays who struggled to find his footing in his first three seasons in the Majors, Mead came to the Red Sox in the midst of a career year, in which he belted 17 homers with an .852 OPS in 87 games with the Nats.
“I was kind of thinking, walking to the clubhouse, just super disappointed,” Mead said on Monday. “I wanted to come here and help the team and wanted to play. So yeah, it’s frustrating. But it was a pretty fun game. At least we were able to win my first game. That was the cool part of it.”